Mathew Edwards: Helping Take Back the Night
It’s night time. The streets are dark and few people are walking around. It’s hard to be a female at these times. There is the constant worry of who might be around the corner, and you’re constantly looking over your shoulder to see if you’re being followed.
It’s dangerous out here and sadly not enough people speak up and do something about it. I know: I walk everywhere, from campus, which is St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., to my home, to train stations, to buses and sometimes I get in late at night. I constantly have a feeling of danger but one night in someone decided to step up. Even though it wasn’t that far of a walk for me, Mathew Edwards, a fellow student at St. John’s, walked me home and has continued to do so ever since.
It’s a simple action, but Edwards is taking a stand to help women take back the night. Not only has he walked me back at night, but he offers his services to other women, some he doesn’t even know. During the first week of school there was a gathering at the townhouses where new and old friends came together to celebrate a new year at St. John’s University. The gathering lasted until about 1 o’clock in the morning where everyone went their separate ways. Mathew made sure those that live on campus made it back to their dorms safely before grouping together the females that lived off campus. Once the females were grouped together he and a few other males escorted them home. Yes, the other males helped but the facilitation of that help came from Mathew who said, “I just want to make sure everyone gets home safely.”
His actions don’t stop at aiding females home at night. Mathew also escorted Micha Shortfreeman, a former St. John’s student back to campus from off-campus housing. Micha had come to visit friends that continued to study at St. John’s during Labor Day weekend and since he had studied at St. John’s his freshman year he knew how to get to campus but he struggled to get from where his friends lived, it was the getting back that was the hard part. Once Micha had his fun he had to try and get back to campus to the dorm where he was staying but he had no idea how to get back and his phone was dead. The person whom Micha was staying with was nowhere to be found and the situation was simply frustrating. Micha was ready to give up and his friends felt uncomfortable about leaving their home at 1 o’clock in the morning to walk him back; they were females and didn’t want to put themselves at risk and neither did Micha. Even though Mathew had plans to stay longer, he decided to walk back with Micha to ensure that he didn’t get lost trying to find his way back to campus. “I was surprised that he did this for me. I was sure I would get lost.” Micha said as his response to that night.
Mathew grew up in a Christian household in Bakersfield, California where he learned the value of others and to see all as Gods children. “We are all children of God, even if people don’t see themselves as children of God. I do.” These strong words coming from the 19 year old government politics major who’s Christian beginning has carried on into his humble nature.Even though he has left his Christian home in Bakersfield he is still a practicing Christian. Going to church in the city and involving himself in campus bible study.
Mathew Edwards is not one of my close friends but he is a person of outstanding character who will not boast of his actions. He does not see what he does as going over and beyond and does not do what he does for the accolades. He sees these actions as helping his fellow man and woman, doing what God would want him to do. Being and acting in Gods image as much as he can without the need to be seen as a hero is exactly why he is a quiet hero in my eyes. The people that need to boast of their accomplishments are those that don’t do it out of the goodness of their heart. It’s the people that don’t ask for the thank you or demand the spotlight for their actions like Mathew Edwards. In the future I hope to grow closer to Mathew not only because of his good nature but to also improve myself. Knowing and being around a real life quiet hero could rub off on me and that would only make the world a better place.